Shoe-holder for polishing.



No. 632,776. Patented Sept. l2, I899.

J. T. BROOKS.

SHOE HOLDER FOB POLISHING.

{Application filed Mar. 8, 1899.

(No Model.)

KW? JET 6 INVENTOR WITNESSES JW M Hand 7 ATTORNEY, 9'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. BROOKS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SHOE-HOLDER FOR POLISHING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,776, dated September 12, 1899.

Application filed March 8, 1899.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoellolders for Polishing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for holding shoes while they are being polished, and has for its object to provide a shoe-last which will fit all sizes of shoes within a wide limit, upon which a shoe may be easily placed and re1noved,and wh ich,although removable from its support, will be held firmly thereby in spite of the pulling and straining incident to polishing shoes.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of my device; Fig. 2, a view from below. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. I is a front view of the supporting-bracket.

Similar numbers of reference indicate similar parts.

1 is a bracket screwed against a wall or other support, or it may be mounted upon the upper end of a post rigidly secured to a stool or otherwise.

2 is a tapered socket on the face of the bracket.

3 is a lug on the face of the bracket above the socket, which projects far enough over the socket to prevent the tapered end of the last-arm from being raised out of the socket except when the arm is carefully removed with the front surfaces of the tapered end and the socket in contact.

4 is an arm of metal having on its end a tapered block located transversely of the arm and fitting into the socket of the bracket. To the arm 4 is secured a shoe-last, preferably of wood, divided into two parts.

5 is the rear end or heel of the last, which is rigidly secured to the arm 4. 6 is the toe or front portion of the last. Both of these portions are beveled on the upper edges of their contact-surfaces,so that when hinged together below the toe portion may be bent upward on the heel.

7 is a hinge secured to the heel-piece 5, slotted in its center at 8 and provided with two projecting lugs 9 and 10.

11 is the other half of the hinge, secured to the toe portion. This portion of the hinge Serial No. 708,230. (No model.)

consists of a hinge-pin 12 and an angle-bar. The vertical portion 13 of the angle-bar is perforated to receive the hinge-pin and stands between the lugs 9 and 10. Its upward projecting end above the hinge-pin is beveled so as to permit the toe portion to rise, but tolimit its motion. Its downward projecting portion below the hinge-pin is parallel to the hinge-.

plate of the heel portion of the hinge and serves as a shoulder to maintain the toe in a horizontal position. At the center of the vertical portion of the angle-bar and centrally located over the hinge-pin is a round lug 1 1, which serves to support a spiral spring 15 and maintain its pressure at the center of the hinge. The horizontal portion 16 of the angle-bar is slotted and enters a guide in the bottom of the toe portion of the last.

17 is a plate secured to the sole of the toe portion of the last and maintaining the horizontal portion 16 of the angle-bar in place.

18 is a lug on the plate 17, turned up into the slot of the bar 16 to limit its motion.

19 is a longitudinal circular recess in the center of the toe portion of the last in which the spring 15 rests and which forms a bearing for the opposite end of the spring, one end of which rests upon the lug 14.

The operation of the device is as follows: The last is bent upon its hinge and the toe inserted into the toe of the shoe. Pressure is then applied to the shoe and the spring compressed until the heel of the last can be easily inserted into the shoe, the last then straightened, and the spring allowed to eX- pand, when it will hold the shoe firmly. To remove the shoe, compress the spring by pressure applied to the toe, bend the last on its hinge, and then release the pressure, and the expansion of the spring will carry the heel of the shoe beyond the heel of the last, and it may be removed from the toe of the last.

The advantage of my structure is that it permits the shoe to be put on to and taken off of the last without bending the sole of the shoe, and it will stretch and hold any size shoe within its limits.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a shoe-last the combination of a heel and toe portion, hinged together, in combinaand toe portion hinged together, one side of the hinge secured to the heel portion and the other side being provided with an extension upon which is mounted the' toe portion, so as to slide thereon, and a spiral spring, one end of which bears upon the hinge and the other upon the toe portion of the last, substantially I as described. I

4. In a shoe-last the combination of a heel and-toe portion hinged together, one side of the hinge secured to the heel portion and the other side being provided with an extension upon which is mounted the toe portion, so as to slide thereon and a spiral spring, one end of which bears upon the pivot of the hinge and the other end in a recess in the toe portion, substantially as described.

5. In a shoe-last for polishing shoes, a last divided into a heel and toe portion, which are hinged together, the toe portion sliding on its side of the hinge and provided with a spiral spring, hearing at one end on the hinge and at the other end on the toe portion, an arm secured to the heel portion and a bracket with a detachable connection between the bracket and arm substantially as described.

Signed by me at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, this 7th day of March, 1899.

JOHN T. BROOKS. WVitnesses:

CHARLES H. MILLIKIN, M. R. JONES. 

